Monday, June 22, 2009

Alright, todays interview is special because it is with Lew Bryson, The managing editor of Malt Advocate magaizine and a regular contributor to Ale street news magazine, Beverage magazine and New Brewer magazine. Lew had this to say about himself..."I started drinking out of the mainstream in 1981, went to my first brewpub in 1986. Started beer writing in 1993, went full-time in 1995. I live in the far northern suburbs of Philadelphia. I grew up among the Amish, and I have not shaved since the morning of my wedding."Normally I let the guest speak for themselves, but as Lew is being overly modest, I have to step in and brag for him. In my opinion, Lew is the most important beer writer in the business. He has written a number of books and his beer blog <http://www.lewbryson.com/> is simply amazing. He is also a fierce advocate for lowering the drinking age, something I fully support. Lew Bryson is one of the most respected people in today's beer world.

1. There is a lot of talk about the hype surrounding certain beers. Some people take a lot of pride in acquiring them. Other people feel the beer is over hyped and pride themselves on liking less hyped beer for the merits of the beer not the hype. What are your thoughts on this?"“Acquiring” a beer for any reason other than you wanting to drink it, to taste it, to experience it, is bullshit. We have a saying around the Malt Advocate offices about whisky collections: “They make it to drink.” Worry less about other people. In fact, worry less. You’re drinking beer; how bad a day can it be?"

2. A lot of brewers are turning a decent profit now, the Boston Beer Company comes to mind, with Sierra Nevada, Stone, and Dogfish Head not far behind. Do you feel that as a brewery grows in size its product quality tends to suffer, or is it possible for to turn out a world class beer in large quantities?"Are we talking about size, or profit? A small brewery can make a good profit. If you’re talking about making profit while making a lot of good beer, well, yeah. I know it’s considered daring to diss Sierra Nevada (and pretty much derigeur to diss Boston Beer), but Sierra has been kicking ass lately with the Chico Estate, Torpedo, the Brown Saison…and Boston Beer will be taking more control of their beers once the Upper Macungie plant comes fully on-line. It is definitely possible to turn out “world class” beer in large quantities. It’s also possible to turn out average suds in small quantities; it’s happening every day."

3. A lot of the craft brew sales are coming from big beer, imperial stout and the like. How do you feel about a brewer brewing a beer for the purpose of keeping up with market trends?"A brewer has the option to brew a significant beer, an innovative beer that establishes the brewer’s – and the brewery’s – bonafides, even though it may not be a huge commercial success. A brewery can also brew a beer similar to others. If a brewery does not keep up with market trends, they may find themselves out of business."

4. On a related note to the previous question,beer is getting hoppier, especially on the West Coast, while in the east a more balanced approach is taken. In your opinion which speaks more to the skill of the brewer, brewing a big huge hoppy beer that still has flavor despite the lack of malt to balance out the hops, or a flavorful balance beer with a lot of hops but not as much malt?"I don’t see that either one can be said to be more evident of the brewer’s skill."

5. lots of craft beer lovers participate in online forums. Do you feel that sites such as beeradvocate and ratebeer are the base of the craft beer industry?"Of course not. Breweries are the base of the craft beer industry. Brewers innovate, brewers create, brewers make. The beer webs publicize, criticize, and over-analyze. I’m reminded of a description of the Pentagon as 25,000 ants, crawling on a log that’s floating down the river, each of them sure that they’re steering the log. Seriously, the regulars on these sites are a tiny fraction of the people drinking craft beer. A loud and feisty fraction, but yes, tiny.

6.A lot of people complain about the rising cost of beer, saying the brewers should have taken the hit on grain hops yeast etc and kept the price the same for their customers. What’s your stance on this?"That’s crazy. Brewers have been keeping the price tamped down for years, and a lot of material cost increases hit at once. An assistant brewer should not get medical to save me a buck on a six pack? That said, yeah, some beers are over-priced. I don’t buy them, and neither should you."

7.Many people drink both craft beer and BMC (Bud Miller Coors) products, others refuse to drink BMC. Where do you stand on this and why?"If it’s gotta be mainstream lager, I go with a regional brewer: Yuengling, Lion, Straub. I just like to keep it local when I have the option. Otherwise…I try not to let politics get into my beer-drinking. It’s a good idea not to let beer-drinking get into your politics, too."

8. What do you think the craft beer industry should be doing to attract more customers, if anything at all? What could we as craft beer drinkers be doing to convince our friends to try it, if anything at all?"Stop trying to get everyone to drink double IPAs. Helles and kölsch are two perfectly respectable beer styles: why not make one? A lot of times people want to support their local brewery, but if all they’re brewing are imperial stouts, it’s going to be tough. Stop forcing our beer down their throats. And stop with the “Here, try PrimaPils. That’s what your beer would taste like if it wasn’t pure shit!” Not real effective."

9. There are 1400 breweries in the United States alone. Lots of them make great beer but never seem to get off the ground. What makes a brewery do well while another fails?"Luck? Will? Picking the right market is a lot of it, and then making beer that market likes (or educating the market about beer the brewer wants to make). Realistic business plans help."

10. Lots of people talk about what brought craft beer to their attention, but what caused you to remain a fan, and you to become as passionate it about it as you are?I got laid off and I had to do something. I wanted to tell more people about good beer. Writing gave me the chance to do that.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Today we have Adrian, an Englishman living in Georgia ( How's that for culture shock). Also known in some circles as "Ding", Adrian has been drinking craft beer for 30 plus years, and grew up drinking Real ale( cask conditioned) with his dad. Here is what he had to say:

1. There is a lot of talk about the hype surrounding certain beers. Some people take a lot of pride in acquiring them. Other people feel the beer is over hyped and pride themselves on liking less hyped beer for the merits of the beer not the hype. What are your thoughts on this?Geeks are at fault, they’ve brought this nonsense on themselves. For example, the madness surrounding Dark Lord is preposterous. Sure, it’s a very nice RIS, but in the grand scheme of things there are plenty of equally good, more attainable brews around. The “Star Wars geekery” is all a little sad IMO, and elevates some beers to a level of hype that they cannot hope to match. I bet the FFF guys are pissing themselves laughing at all the relatively undeserved press that their (good but not great) DL gets.2. A lot of brewers are turning a decent profit now, the Boston Beer Company comes to mind, with Sierra Nevada, Stone, and Dogfish Head not far behind. Do you feel that as a brewery grows in size its product quality tends to suffer, or is it possible for to turn out a world class beer in large quantities?Possible, but increasingly difficult as forces such as logistics, marketing and profitability, i.e. ones that are divorced from the creativity and the artisanal aspects of producing craft products, will begin to impose themselves on the process in a disproportionate manner. Ask yourself this question – how many truly great cheeses or pieces of furniture or pieces of artwork are mass produced? Having said that, I still think that breweries like DFH and Stone are a long way from crossing that line; BBC may have already crossed it and if they have, they are still managing to put out some decent products, which I suppose supports the idea that it remains possible.3. A lot of the craft brew sales are coming from big beer, imperial stout and the like. How do you feel about a brewer brewing a beer for the purpose of keeping up with market trends?Well, it pains me to see but they have to remain profitable to enable them to brew ANYTHING, so making money and following trends is, to an extent, a necessary evil. The ugly face of Capitalism!4. On a related note to the previous question,beer is getting hoppier, especially on the West Coast, while in the east a more balanced approach is taken. In your opinion which speaks more to the skill of the brewer, brewing a big huge hoppy beer that still has flavor despite the lack of malt to balance out the hops, or a flavorful balance beer with a lot of hops but not as much malt?Subtle, low ABV brews with low hop profiles are certainly NOT the American way, period. This is not just reserved to IPA’s either. Look at an American Brown Ale or an American Porter and you will often find beers that IMO are essentially supposed to be “sweet”, malt based beers with very low hop profiles, being produced in the US with very large bittering. I don’t like the bastardization of styles, and don’t even get me started on American versions of ESB’s! I’m not a brewer so I don’t feel qualified to comment upon the difficulty of brewing one style over another, BUT from a drinkers perspective it seems to me as though creating massively hopped brews where the hops and IBU’s remove all subtlety from the beer, are crude and crass and frankly lack creativity, style and guile. Having said that, I rather like DFH 120 min, and from time to time I like a West Coast DIPA, but for me too often the beers that have these enormous hop profiles are clumsy and lack craft.5. There is no doubt that lots of craft beer lovers participate in online forums. Do you feel that sites such as beeradvocate and ratebeer are the base of the craft beer industry?No, not the “base”; the “base” is made up of the brewers that brew the craft beer and the people that drink it. I’d imagine that despite the success of RB and BA, that most craft brew drinkers are not involved to any degree online.6. A lot of people complain about the rising cost of beer, saying the brewers should have taken the hit on grain hops yeast etc and kept the price the same for their customers. What’s your stance on this?Beer is a luxury item, not a necessity and brewers need to make a profit. I also have no problem with increased taxation on beer.7. Many people drink both craft beer and BMC (Bud Miller Coors) products, others refuse to drink BMC. Where do you stand on this and why?I very seldom drink any BMC (Miller High Life in the high, GA summer is about my only exception) and I NEVER buy BMC in bars or restaurants because I prefer to drink water than pay for a product that I don’t enjoy drinking. I just don’t like the product. As for others – I couldn’t care less what they drink so in that respect I’m not anti-BMC, but I am depressed by some of the marketing associated with it; it’s lowest common denominator, sheep-like herding for the BI’s (“beer ignorant’s”).8. What do you think the craft beer industry should be doing to attract more customers, if anything at all? What could we as craft beer drinkers be doing to convince our friends to try it, if anything at all?You’d have to ask the craft beer industry that question, frankly it doesn’t matter to me how many (or how few) people drink craft beer. As for the second part of the question, if the opportunity arises I will occasionally attempt a little education, I always offer craft beer at home to guests (with no BMC alternatives), plus I always take craft beer to events, but outside of that I’m no evangelist!9. There are 1400 breweries in the United States alone. Lots of them make great beer but never seem to get off the ground. What makes a brewery do well while another fails?Multi-faceted question but just the usual stuff; product quality, timing, strategy, marketing, location, price points etc. Many people will say that you can’t get anywhere with a poor product (and that view has some merit), but I see several breweries that are producing some very mediocre (or even poor) beer that do make a go of it. This is largely because of a combination of the other factors being in their favor.10. Lots of people talk about what brought craft beer to their attention, but what caused you to remain a fan, and you to become as passionate it about it as you are?As an Englishman, beer and pubs were at the heart of pretty much all social activities that I ever knew. Luckily my father was a Real Ale drinker so I was brought up with it. It’s really just part of who I am and as such I don’t consider myself a “fan” rather it’s really just part of whom I am.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Today's interview is with Ron from beerblitz.com. His site contains lots of beer reviews, as well as a cooking section, and a mixed drink database with all original recipes, so check them out.As per the usual Ran was asked to tell us a little about himself and then answer the same ten questions, here is what he had to say.

I have been trying and searching for unique beers with my best friend since the late 1980’s. I know we have tried more than 1000 but less than 5000 different beers over the last 20 years or so. Since 2008 we have published a website Beer Blitz at http://www.beerblitz.com/ with over 100 current beer reviews.

1 There is a lot of talk about the hype surrounding certain beers. Some people take a lot of pride in acquiring them while other people feel the beer is overrated and pride themselves on liking less popular beer for the merits of the beer and not all the hype about it. What are you thoughts on this?

I certainly wouldn't buy a beer repeatedly just because of the hype. Repeat buys are of course beers that I like the taste of the best. A lot of hype surrounding a beer is basically a benefit in public awareness and people like trying new things, particularly if they are popular. Everyone likes to be able to talk about things with their peers and if you are the only one who hasn’t had a beer then you are out of the conversation. Long term though I wouldn’t imagine people buying a beer again if they didn’t like it.

2 A lot of brewers are turning a decent profit now. The Boston Beer Company is a good example with Sierra Nevada, Stone, and Dogfish Head not far behind. Do you feel that as a brewery grows in size its product quality tends to suffer, or is it possible to turn out a world class beer in large quantities? It is possible to make large quantities and maintain the quality. It is important to have strict quality controls in all brewing locations. If I buy a brand of beer today I want it to taste the same as it did two months ago or if I buy it while traveling it should taste the same regardless of where I get it. Inconsistency is the worst thing a brewer can do to itself. If the “bad batch” is the first time the drinker has sampled your brand they may never buy it again. As a repeat consumer of a brand a “bad batch” memory could easily steer me to alternatives which have always been consistent; there are many options out there these days. All of the brewers mentioned in your question put out a consistent product based on my own experience with them. An important exception, for better or worse, is that some breweries release bottle conditioned beers so that the drinker can cellar those and age them to their own taste preference. A good example is Bell’s Expedition Stout. This is my favorite beer when it is aged (at least 6 months) but when I have a recently brewed batch I don’t like it.

3 A lot of the craft brew sales are coming from big beers, imperial stouts and the like. How do you feel about a brewer brewing a beer for the purpose of keeping up with market trends?I would expect a brewer to brew per demand and thus stay in business. I think there is some market for all styles, the demand for some fluctuating by the season. Imperial stouts as you mentioned are most likely bought more in the fall and winter, and many brands are only available then. These are heavy strong beers that can have an alcohol warming quality. On a hot summer day a lighter crisper beer can be more thirst quenching and satisfying. Those who are experts at pairing beer with foods though would by a certain style to go with their meal. In addition to that I like to cook with beer. The point here is that there is always some demand for a style and some stouts such as Old Rasputin by North Coast and Siberian Night by Thirsty Dog can be found all year in some places. I have read someplace that the largest selling beers are the specialty seasonals and I believe this is due to a tendency to try new things. I would caution a brewer not to think too far outside the box and not to release new styles so wild and so quickly that they lose their reputation for quality beers. There are a few breweries that I never have any reservations about because every beer in their product line is great. Dogfish Head and Flying Dog immediately come to mind here. Thus far they have been careful not to release a bad brand to tarnish their name. There are others such as North Coast, Great Lakes, and Founder’s. My final point here is that if you are not skilled in making a particular style of beer I would not release a sub-par example just to get in on the market wave. I would either wait until you have the style perfected or simply stick to those that are already done well.

4Beer is getting hoppier. This is more apparent on the west coast, while on the east coast a more balanced approach is taken. In your opinion, which speaks more to the skill of the brewer; brewing a tongue bracingly hoppy beer that still has flavor despite the lack of malt, or brewing a balanced beer with a lot of hops but also a strong malt flavor?In my opinion the skill of the brewer is whether or not they can make something which has good flavors. Note I said flavors instead of flavor. The breweries that impress me are those who can make a beer with a complex array of flavors, even if they are doing a pilsner or IPA. I dislike beers that are simply one note. Anybody can load up their beer with hops but not everyone can make a good balance. Out of balance hops can mask all of other flavors and makes a beer less interesting, less enjoyable. A beer can also be too balanced where the sweet malt and hops literally cancel each other out giving a boring result. My favorite beers are those with complex flavor profiles where the flavors actually alternate back and forth as you drink the beer. There are many flavors…sweet malt, wheat, nuttiness, citrus, piney hops, bitter and sour hops, chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, salt, etc. The more I can get in a well composed product, the better I like it. The more complex the array of flavors, the more difficult it is to balance them well and not overshadow some components.5Lots of craft beer lovers participate in online forums. Do you feel that sites such as beeradvocate.com and ratebeer.com are the base of the craft beer industry? I think their readers are the base of the craft beer consumers. I can tell by the comments and emails I receive from Beer Blitz readers and twitter followers that they are a well versed base of craft beer enthusiasts. Like everyone I like some styles better than others but I respect and have a use for all styles depending on my mood, what I am eating or cooking, etc. My hope is that great versions of all styles continue to come out. I think a brewer would be wise to pay close attention to this base of craft beer consumers that provide their praises and criticisms online. When someone likes or dislikes a beer enough to publish comments on it, that is the best marketing info a brewer can get, and its out there for free.

6 A lot of people complain about the rising cost of beer saying the brewers should have taken the hit on the rising cost of grain, hops, yeast, etc. and kept the price the same for their customers. What's your stance on this? As a consumer I will always prefer low prices. I have watched many brands sell for $8.99 a six-pack, then go to $12.99 a six-pack, then have the six-pack go to a four-pack for the same price ! In the long run a brewer will have to price their product for the most profit, and this does not always mean raising the price. Depending on their supply and demand curve a brewer may make more money with a lower price if the increase in demand is a greater percentage than the price reduction. I hope all good breweries intelligently operate so that they can expand the reach and variety of good beer. Those who don’t price their products intelligently based on the pricing effects on demand will not exist forever.

7 Many people drink both craft beer and BMC (Bud, Miller, Coors) products while others refuse to drink BMC. Where do you stand on this and why?I personally drink both and I see a use for both depending on the circumstance. The BMC beers that you refer to are of course more thin and more bland than the craft beers. I consider these inadequate for a beer tasting event as there are not many flavors to discuss. I drink these on a hot summer day, at some parties and summer barbecues. Lets be honest, a benefit of beer for some (hopefully after they are done driving for the day !) is to utilize the alcohol to relax or unwind in social situations to slowly build up a “comfortable buzz”. The BMC beers certainly accomplish that quite well. I wouldn’t light a cigarette with a blow torch and I can’t imagine drinking an imperial stout out of a keg at an all day summer party, long card game, or a beer pong tournament. Most craft beers are simply too strong or too filling for those situations. There are plenty of situations where either the BMC beers or craft beers have their own practicality and I don’t see one pushing the other completely out of existence.8 What do you think the craft beer industry should be doing to attract more customers, if anything at all? What could we as craft beer drinkers be doing to convince our friends to try it, if anything at all?The best advice here is to first make a good product and don’t release one that is substandard compared to the competition in that same style. One bad beer release can taint the breweries name and prevent some from trying your other variants even though they may be the best in the world. Craft beer drinkers are commenting on blogs or starting websites. My intent in publishing my site is to share the experience with others and to hopefully help keep the beers I like in existence so I can get them again.9There are 1,400 breweries in the United States alone. Lots of them make great beer but never seem to get off the ground. What makes one brewery do well while others fail? Some should focus on only releasing beer styles that they do well. Another point is to be sure your beer is as advertised and be clear on the label. The consumer should know what they are buying. I don’t like it if the label leaves one confused as to whether or not they are buying a lager or ale. I am not sure of the exact distribution structure out there but having your beer widely available is the only way to have it well known. I receive messages all the time about beers that I write about but the responder has never seen it. I have tried plenty of beers that would sell well all over if they were made available. Lack of marketing killed a good “BMC type” beer, namely Hudepohl Gold in Cincinnati, OH. A brewer needs an excellent product, an attractive label that grabs attention, and a nice description on the label. One of my favorite breweries – North Coast – has my least favorite label description. It reads “water, malt, hops, yeast, & that’s all”. They put this on all their beers I suppose for an implication of purity. Their description is quite boring, however, and I know all of their beers deserve better. North Coast beers are usually bursting with flavor and they really deserve a more glowing description. Finally, get the word out ! Advertise on sites and have your product at events like AleFest for example. On a worldwide scale there are more brands of beer available than a beer drinker could have time to try. Once you have a good product something must make you stand-out among the thousands of others that are available.10Lots of people talk about what brought craft beer to their attention. What caused you, once craft beer had your attention, to pursue your interest in it and become as passionate as you now are? I continue my pursuit for the taste. The craft beer industry is getting better every year in the U.S. This wasn’t the case in the late 1980’s. These days, in my opinion, craft brewers in the United States are making the best beers ever brewed. Many examples outclass foreign brewers that have been around for hundreds of years. I am always excited to try something new in this environment. I intend on continuing to try more beers, publish them on my site, discussing them with Twitter followers, commenting on blogs, and just enjoying the world of beer.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Been to a gas station or grocery store lately? Noticed the beer aisle? Full of craftish looking beers isn't it. Wild Blue, American Ale, Blue Moon, and the entire line of Michelob's new brews. This is a direct response to craft beers recent surge in popularity. Just for a second, lets consider why craft beer is more popular today. The public in general is interested in higher quality things. Go to any grocery store and I bet you will notice gourmet things every where; cheese counters, olive bars, 5 or 6 types of olive oils, etc. Hell, my local Winn Dixie has truffle oil. Consumers in general are becoming more informed and are demanding better quality products.The craft beer industry has shown people that beer doesn't have to mean pale and fizzy with no taste and people are becoming interested. Craft beer is one of the fastest growing industries right now, and it's all due to consumer awareness.Now the boys at BMC are no dummies, they saw the potential of good beer and jumped on it. Blue Moon is the fastest growing brand in beer, period. Michelob is putting out some beers that are actually good. Hell, even Budweiser American Ale is pretty good. Now, we hard-core beer geeks aren't biting, but not everyone is like us. We want to try every beer made, and enjoy beers that push the envelope. Most people, however, don't want to keep up with the latest trends and drink 1,000 different beers. They just want one or two different beers that taste better than what they are used to. These faux-craft beers more that satisfy that, and at a cheaper price. If they see a 6 pack of DFH 60 Minute for $9.99 and a six-er of Michelob Pale Ale for $6.99, which one do you think they are gonna get? Now add the sheer dominance of BMC when it comes to shelf space, the monster that is Anheuser-Busch's marketing strategy and their lobbying on behalf of silly laws that give them an advantage and craft beer will never really do any serious damage to the big three.The only way craft is going to be able to gain any advantage is to market better. They are doing a helluva job of reaching their core base, but their core base is small. To make real money they need to reach the Heineken drinker, the blue moon drinker, the Michelob drinker, etc. They need to convince people that their product is better than that of the big three. The only way to do that is mass marketing. There are two problems with that... First is money; no craft brewer, with the exception of the Boston Beer Company has that kind of resources. My suggestion there would be a co-op of sort. Just like the dairy farmers and beef and pork producers do. I would love to see ads from the Craft Brewers of America all over the boob tube. They could combine resources and really reach out.The second issue is a bit harder to deal with. There seems (to me at least) to be a certain pride in not using marketing, and just letting the product speak for itself. That works fine in something like the wine world, where hardly anybody engages in mass marketing and the consumer base as a whole is very informed. However, when taking on BMC, the kings of marketing, it's a different story. These guys built an empire on ad campaigns. They make an inferior, water downed product and conviced people that it was what they wanted. Sometimes, you just have to fight fire with fire. So, start putting out ads making fun of pale watery beers produced by huge corporate giants. Until craft brewers realize that they have to do more in the ad department, they are going to continue to lose market share to the big boys. I really believe BMC is just getting started on the craftish trends and once they get rolling, unless crafts fight back in a more effective manner, it's going to get ugly.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Saturday, June 6, 2009

I have something special starting today. I will be doing a series of interviews with several beer lovers. Here's how its gonna work... I am going to select a few craft beer fans and ask them all the same ten questions. I will be picking people with levels of knowledge varying from industry professionals to rank amateurs. I am not going to comment on their answers, as I am trying to provide a glimpse into the mind of a beer lover. I will be posting my personal answers on the questions as the last entry in the series. The questions mainly center around various debates in the craft beer world with a couple extras thrown in for fun.The first beer lover to be featured is Mike, from southern California. Mike had this to say about himself... "A little about me: Real name: Mike. User name on Beeradvocate.com: Overlord. I'm 32, did not touch a sip of alcohol before my 21st birthday, and will maintain that claim for as long as I possibly can. Enjoyed craft beer off and on since the age of 23 or so, but became far more enthused aboutit in my late 20s. I work as a litigation attorney in Southern California." Anyone who spends anytime on Beeradvocate knows that Mike is very sharp and knows his beer. Here are the questions that he was asked:

1. There is a lot of talk about the hype surrounding certain beers. Some people take a lot of pride in acquiring them while other people feel the beer is overrated and pride themselves on liking less popular beer for the merits of the beer and not all the hype about it. What are you thoughts on this?"As with any hobby involving the collection of items of which the demand is great and the supply limited, rare beers (or beers perceived as rare) are going to crop up and become status symbols. Craft brewing is not immune to this phenomenon, and considering that the beers are actually consumed, rare items steadily grow more precious over time. This isn't a problem for the hobby as a whole, but given the inherent obsessive qualities of collectors in general, perhaps too-passionate individuals can very easily get out of control and begin to irritate those around them. The product of their fervor is going to be "hype." And, of course, that "hype" is going to directly correlate with how hard a beer is to obtain, and correlate somewhat more weakly with how good the beer is. I take a bit of long view, and appreciate that the interest of others is going to lead to more sales, more interest, and more beers for me to hopefully try. Just don't let hype destroy your beer budget or lead you to skew reviews. If you want to consider yourself an honest reviewer (if you're into reviewing at all), and also prevent yourself from going crazy tracking down every limited release of note, you've got to condition yourself to reject the hype. This can be hard. I'd like to think I enjoy a beer due to its quality, and for no other reason, but there is a certain "extra pleasure" to be obtained when a brew I go out of my way to procure ends up meeting or exceeding my expectations. As for those who explicitly seek out "non-hyped" beers for the purpose of rejecting the status quo in the beer community, I have to wonder what the point is. Folks should drink what they like, and what, within their budget and lifestyle, they can obtain at a reasonable cost. Deciding to drink a beer due to the perceived hype isn't that much different than intentionally seeking out beers that aren't on anyone's radar. In both cases you're ignoring quality choices due to what other people are saying and doing. And that's not a good rationale, at all."

2. A lot of brewers are turning a decent profit now. The Boston Beer Company is a good example with Sierra Nevada, Stone, and Dogfish Head not far behind. Do you feel that as a brewery grows in size its product quality tends to suffer, or is it possible to turn out a world class beer in large quantities?"I think that any person, corporation, animal, plant, or cosmic entity that is struggling to survive has a high adaptability rate. In trying to prevent extinction, they evolve rapidly, try as hard as they can to keep on functioning, and generally lack any hint of complacency. This type of incredible sustained effort can lead to massive and spectacular failures, but with maximum effort you also have a chance of an incredibly great result. In the case of breweries, when they become established, I think risk-taking and experimentation go down, because without the threat of demise, the status quo suddenly looks quite a bit better. I tend to think that breweries do a pretty good job of keeping existing product lines tasting great as they expand. I'm sure there is some corner cutting going on, but I can think of very few concrete examples from my beer drinking experience in which I thought it was occurring. On the other hand, I definitely notice the following: the larger a brewery gets, the fewer experimental, cutting edge, or radical new products I tend to see from them, ESPECIALLY when you consider that a larger brewery has far more employees and resources to throw into product development. If I were to generalize: big breweries tend to be great at producing a consistent product of dependable quality, but they also seem to be pretty bad at breaking new ground (though there are a few very notable exceptions ... Russian River comes to mind) the larger they get. I believe the type of environment that produces cutting edge beers is anathema to the goals and desires of a big brewer. A big brewery is already successful, and the last thing they want to do is abandon the products that made them that way. I think if you look at any industry, you'll find that the radical innovations came from guys in their garages who were struggling on a shoestring to feed their families. By and large, big companies refine the production and distribution of quality products, and small companies engineer revolutions ."

3. A lot of the craft brew sales are coming from big beers, imperial stouts and the like. How do you feel about a brewer brewing a beer for the purpose of keeping up with market trends?"On the business side of it, you'd better give the public what they're willing to buy in large quantities if you want to survive. Believing otherwise smacks of naïveté in the business world. I love sours. Love them. But I understand that they are a niche product that appeals to a niche palate, and I don't expect to see six packs of them in every gas station."

4. Beer is getting hoppier. This is more apparent on the west coast, while on the east coast a more balanced approach is taken. In your opinion, which speaks more to the skill of the brewer; brewing a tongue bracingly hoppy beer that still has flavor despite the lack of malt, or brewing a balanced beer with a lot of hops but also a strong malt flavor?"I think that the skill of the brewer is reflected in how closely they are able to produce the product they intended to make, or, if the end-result is a happy accident, how well they are able to replicate that accident from batch to batch. We can argue for days over which end-product beer is superior but I actually think that has little to do with the skill of the brewer (although it definitely speaks to the quality of the brewer's taste buds). I find that I prefer beers with very strong flavors, be they bitter, sweet, sour, citrus-y, or what have you. I prefer that the main flavor component of an IPA be from the hops, with malt or sweeter tropical fruit tones to balance the typically bitter/citrus component of an IPA. I always want a beer of a particular style to highlight what I consider to be the pre-eminent flavor of that style, but that's just my preference, and I don't expect everyone to share it."

5. Lots of craft beer lovers participate in online forums. Do you feel that sites such as beeradvocate.com and ratebeer.com are the base of the craft beer industry?"Unfortunately, no. I wish it were the case because it would mean millions of millions of dollars being poured into producing fantastic new beers of every stripe, and of course we of the vocal minority would get an ego boost from our own importance, but sadly, I think we are in general a small, difficult to please, and fractured lot. Ultimately breweries are in the business of selling their products, and we are too small of a market share to make a big difference in the grand scheme of things. That being said: for small breweries who are producing niche products of higher-than-average cost, the on-line community is vitally important. People who are willing to pay the most for the best are going to be very important to the brewery producing 2000 bottles at 20 dollars each, because the general market is NOT going to buy those beers. But, those beer releases, and those breweries, make up a very small portion of the craft beer industry."

6. A lot of people complain about the rising cost of beer saying the brewers should have taken the hit on the rising cost of grain, hops, yeast, etc. and kept the price the same for their customers. What's your stance on this?"I genuinely believe that the last 5-10 years will be looked upon as the halcyon days for craft brewing. The excitement of being part of a small, growing movement, the breweries popping up and trying to make a name for themselves using excellent ingredients still widely available, and the fun of being part of a nascent on-line community really make this a great time to be entering this hobby. I suspect prices will rise now that craft beer as a whole is entering the public consciousness, and I believe that the costs of various components of beer brewing are going to skyrocket as our overcrowded world sees its resources continue to be strained. I look at the prices for wine and distilled spirits (such as scotches), and have to think beer will follow a similar pattern. I think people will look back at the collections they built in the early 2000s and be shocked in 2014 that they could have perhaps bought a nice car with the proceeds of selling them. I think brewers should keep a long view on maintaining the health of their industry. Passing on short term cost increases to customers may anger beer drinkers long after the price increase is no longer necessary. If price increases become permanent, you might find that folks are willing to "live with" slightly lesser variations of their favorites. Prices do go up over time, and I expect the beer industry will follow this pattern as well, but when a price increase has the perception of being driven by something other than "legitimate" business expenses, people get mad. I don't take price increases personally. I just hope brewers don't take it personally when I stop buying their beers."

7. Many people drink both craft beer and BMC (Bud, Miller, Coors) products while others refuse to drink BMC. Where do you stand on this and why?"There are very few products I don't buy due to some moral dilemma. On the other hand, I can absolutely see why folks would reject BMC products entirely, considering that the large brewers have used their lobbying clout and market share to drive out competition, keep ridiculous laws on the books that favor of them, and generally acted in their own best interests rather than the interest of craft brewers. Then again, should we blame them? Isn't it every corporation's job to run its business as well as they can? So long as they aren't breaking the law, whose fault is it? I think most of the blame has to fall on the backs of people who are supposed to be acting in the public interest, but more often use their political positions for personal gain. Considering that I hate 99% of BMC products, I can feel comfortable knowing that I need no moral justification to avoid them; my taste buds are good enough. I do love me some Michelob Dunkelweisse, though."

8. What do you think the craft beer industry should be doing to attract more customers, if anything at all? What could we as craft beer drinkers be doing to convince our friends to try it, if anything at all?"The craft beer industry should do everything in its power to get people to try their beer. Whether that means getting into more stores, getting on tap at more bars, or pooling clout to get a foothold into sports venues or concert halls, I think craft beer, by and large, speaks for itself ONCE PEOPLE ACTUALLY TASTE THEM! You're never going to out-advertise the BMC oligopoly, so instead focus on getting the product to taste buds. I think the Beverages and More weekend tastings, for example, are a great idea. If you get good beer in the hands of enough people, at some point you've got to expect the better product to go viral."

9. There are 1,400 breweries in the United states alone. Lots of them make great beer but never seem to get off the ground. What makes one brewery do well while others fail?"I'd say it's three factors: Luck, brewing skill, and opportunity. And, sadly, luck probably has the most to do with it. A few of the right people who have the ability to promote a beer happen to get a hold of it and like it, or the right property or distribution channel happens to be available, or some other fortuitous confluence of factors leads to one brewery succeeding while another fails. Of course, making good beers is an essential element, but think about how many restaurants that make great food fail due to a bad location or a single negative review? In terms of opportunity, I think a lot of brewers get squelched early. I imagine that funding is hard to attain, licenses are either delayed or denied, or the proper location or distribution channel isn't available in that particular location. As with any start-up business, the failure rate is going to be high amongst brewers."

10. Lots of people talk about what brought craft beer to their attention. What caused you, once craft beer had your attention, to pursue your interest in it and become as passionate as you now are?"I enjoy great beer, and I like talking about new options and breweries. That being said, there's only a finite amount of time in the day, and I think I've reached my "passion threshold." With other life commitments, I don't have the energy to become knowledgeable about every facet of the brewing world, and I'm not sure I care to be. I do want to be an expert on the best beers and breweries out there, but beyond that ... I'll step back and savor the knowledge of others. It was the fact that good beer tastes great that piqued my interest, and with so many new offerings on seemingly a weekly basis, it's easy to keep that interest maintained."

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Given craft beer's roots in ancient brewing arts, and brewers pride in rejecting modern methods its not the first place one would look when searching for a cutting edge industry. However i mean cutting edge marketing practices. Notice how you never see a billboard advertising Dogfish Head, or Stone, or Smutty nose, etc etc. Yet these breweries thrive. The reason they do so well is the Internet. Sites like www.beeradvocate.com, and www.ratebeer.com have thriving communities of forum members who all share a common love for craft beer. Its this large group that drives the sales for these beers.Take Beeradvocate, of which i am a proud member, they hold some of the biggest, and best beer festivals in the nation, and nearly all of the people who attend learn about it through the 'net.Three Floyd's Brewing and Surly, both have beers, Dark Lord and Darkness, respectively, that are only sold one day a year. Thousands of people show up, to buy one beer, and where do they hear about it, the Internet.BrouwerijWestvleteren, a Belgian monastery, brews what many consider to be the finest beer on the planet Trappist Westvleteren 12. Its not even sold outside the brewery with theexception of one small pub nearby. In order to get one you have to go to Belguim and by it, or "bootleg" it through a mail order site and pay almost a hundred bones a bottle after shipping. Very obscure beer, but at the top of most "best beer in the world" lists. The only reason this is possible is due to the inter net.Beer geeks as we tend to refer to ourselves are generally tech savvy, and gravitate to the Internet. This has put the craft brew industry in a very good positionto capitalize on this, and they have with a vengeance. Stone brewing, came to Jacksonville mostly because people heard about their beer, and tried it while on trips to California and other places and then bugged the local distributorsuntil they brought it here.I know of no other industry so driven by the Internet, which is amazing considering most craft beer is bought at bars and bottle shops, there is very little actual Internet commerce going on. I mean i know a few people trying it in other industries Gary Vaynerchuk is doing a helluvejob in the wine world but he is in the minority. I would suggest anyone trying to survie in a niche market take note.